Hi there, call me Muffin! I'm an Author on Ao3 (https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonliest_muffin) and this is the place to ask me questions! Of course you can also send asks for all the characters I write about. ^w^ Banner picture is fanart made by https://cloud-chaser-2224.tumblr.com/
Heyo! It is I, Lonliest_muffin a (primarily) Katekyou Hitman Reborn Ao3 Author!! :3
I will use this Blog to answer various Questions, reblog writing advice and khr fics, post tumblr-exclusive short stories, announce Updates on my fanfics and (maybe) create some polls about said fanfictions.
If you want, you could also follow me on my Fandom Blog, @social-muffin! :3
And if you'd like to help me build a story, check out my second Ask Blog @ask-kyoya-hibari-and-kyo-kun!
You may ask me anything about, or relating to my many (mostly) Skull- and/or Hibari-centric khr fanfictions. You can even ask me some questions about who I am as a person. Just address your asks to Muffin and I will answer as myself! :3
Under the Read More you'll find a list of Skulls/AUs I plan to answer questions for! I am not an artist(yet I hope), I'm a hobby-writer, so I will answer these Questions with a little story to accompany them, depending on what the question is. (may be 20 words, 100 words, even 1000 words, depends on how inspiration strikes)
Answers that include spoilers for my fanfictions (stuff I haven't written/posted yet) will be tagged as 'Spoilers', for those people that wish to avoid that! But I will not Tag stuff I've already written and posted as spoilers.
Disclaimer!: Harassment and Hate of any kind has no place here, you will be blocked on sight.
Here is the current list of the Skulls I'll answer questions for(may change)! Links are included on the names of the listed fanfics. (mentioned for the Vision impaired)
This is also a really basic Guide on how I would like you to Ask Questions for specific versions of the characters I write!
These WARNINGS are different from the fanfictions's tags, so do check the tags before reading as well, just to be safe! The Tags are more elaborate, I wanted to keep this brief.
Series: Igniting Embers!
Guardian Angels (First Timeline) - Teen Skull (age 16/17) goes through a rough time, then he ends up under the protection of the Vindice! He has fun with it while it lasts.
To ask him and his mysterious pals questions, start your Asks with GA!Skull or Guardian Skull. (Guardian Bermuda, GA!Jaeger, etc.) Will be tagged '#khr Guardian Angels" in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: This story contains implied/referenced underage non-con and the resulting ptsd. This fic is incomplete.
Pathway of Sacrifice (First Timeline) - Skull (pre-curse/age 21) somehow ended up in the Mafia and he is not happy about it! Unfortunately, his teammates are as beautiful as they are cruel and stupid... Skull has to protect them.
To ask him and his tormentors questions start your Asks with PS!Skull or Sacrificed Skull. (Sacrificed Luce, PS!Verde, etc.) Will be tagged '#khr Pathway of Sacrifice' in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: Skull experiences the canon typical bullying, there are several near death experiences, the Arcos have emotional constipation. This fic has been completed.
Simmering Embers (Part of the first Timeline, but a divergence) - Skull (cursed/age 40~) leaves the Hibari Clan and takes along his baby brother, Kyoya (age 3). Now Skull has to figure out how to raise children all while removing himself off the face of the earth, so the Arcos can't find him or his brother. Not to mention he has to do something about the curse!
To ask him and his sweet bro questions, start your Asks with SE!Skull or Simmered Skull! (Simmered Kyoya, SE!OCs also allowed, etc.) Will be tagged '#Simmering Embers' in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: Self-mutilation (can be skipped while reading), mild suicidal ideation at times, Child Abuse, original character death, weird cloud flame things. This fic is incomplete.
Embers Underwater (First Timeline) - Skull (post-curse/age 50~/looks 20~) tells Hibari (age 17) they're half-brothers. Kyoya is surprisingly okay with this and immediately takes Skull home. They get along fine, but then the Arcobalenos start to search for Skull...
To ask him and his brother questions, start your Asks with Ember Skull, or EU!Skull! (EU!Kyoya, Ember Reborn, etc.) Will be tagged '#khr Embers Underwater' in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: Ptsd, miscommunication, Skull and Kyoya are not well, bittersweet ending. This fic has been completed!
Systemic Disorder (First timeline and happens directly after Embers Underwater!) - Skull (still post-curse/age 50~/looks 20~) goes into hiding after his latest stunt causes a mafia-wide uproar. He picks up a new identity and starts living a new life in Namimori! Things won't be that simple when living with Hibari Kyoya though....
To ask him and his many friends questions, start your Asks with SD!Skull or Systemic Skull. (SD!Nana, Systemic Spitfire(OC), etc.) Will be tagged '#khr Systemic Disorder' in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: Everyone needs a hug, everyone has PTSD, Skull attends his own Funeral, Arcos reach their breaking point/verbal abuse. This fic is incomplete.
A Title to Guard the Strongest (Second Timeline!) - Skull (age 20) leads a boring life as an internationally beloved Stuntman. At least until he finally meets some interesting people! Two Soldiers, a substitute teacher that moonlights as a Hitman, a trainee illusionist, an exotic dancer with an assassination hobby, a slightly unethical pediatrician and the revered Donna of the Giglio Nero Familia... Nobody seem able to resist Skull's undeniable charm!
To ask this Skull and his unconventional Family questions, start your Asks with GS!Skull or Titled Skull. (GS!Luce, Titled Reborn, etc.) Will be tagged '#khr A Title to Guard the Strongest' in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: implied/referenced non-con, implied/referenced dub-con, alcohol use, Sky!Skull, explosives and injuries, Luce-appreciation (she gets cuddled here eventually). This fic is incomplete!
Accumulated Embers (Crossover of the First and Second Timeline!) - Embers Skull (age 50~/looks 20~) is having the worst time of his life. Every that could go wrong, goes wrong and he succumbs to the darkness at his core. Titled Fon(age 50~) disagrees with that sad fate, so he burns a path across timelines to protect and nurture that poor soul. As a bonus, Titled Fon also gets to gently bully the Ember Arcos into better coping mechanisms!
To send Asks for this fic, you just have to add on AE! before you write who the Ask is for. (Would look like: AE!Embers Skull, or AE!Titled Fon, or AE!GS!Reborn, etc.) Will be tagged '#khr Accumulated Embers' in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: mentioned Infant death, mentioned substance abuse, mentioned child neglect, mentioned child abuse, internalized transphobia, identity crisis, poverty, bullying, ptsd, Immortality, learning to communicate, Titled Fon has his work cut out for him. This fic is incomplete.
Cirrostratus (A Divergence in the Second Timeline!) - Skull (age 20) meets Reborn (age 25) when the hitman is at his lowest and struggling. Skull has always had a kind heart and open doors. Reborn can only reject that help for so long... A civilain's life seemed a distant dream until it was suddenly at his fingertips.
To ask these two roommates questions, start your Asks with Cirro!Skull or Roommate Reborn. (Cirro!Reborn, Roommate Skull) Will be tagged '#khr Cirrostratus' in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, initially bad coping mechanisms, but it will get better, Skull is a good Bro and way too trusting. This fic is incomplete!
Series: Plot Bunnies
Object Permanence (is actually slightly adjacent to the Igniting Embers Timelines, yet very much it's own thing) - The growth serum Verde developed post-canon goes wildly wrong! Their minds now match their bodies, as though they'd been plucked straight out of their messed-up childhoods. Only Skull was spared, as he regained his adult body. And well... Someone has to take care of these scared, confused children, right?
To send questions to this odd family, start your Asks with Papa!Skull or Tiny![insert Arco] (Examples: Tiny!Reborn, Tiny!Fon, etc. Tiny!Skull is also an option!!) Will be tagged '#khr Object Permanence' in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: a variety of different types of PTSD, neglect, poverty, grief, anxiety, internalized transphobia, canon-typical bullying, pls take care while reading, nobody is all okay, but it will have a very uplifting ending. This story is incomplete.
Series: Igniting Sparks
Sparking Hearth (is part of the first Igniting Embers timeline, in a different Series because it's Hibari-centric) - Hibari Kyoya (age 6) runs away from home ,only to stumble across the most beautiful town he ever did see. The herbivores are actually insane, roaming the streets as though they're prepared for war, all while a kind of grief lingers in the air... But more importantly! That school is gorgeous!!
If you'd like to send this little dear questions, just send an Ask addressed to Baby!Kyoya, or Baby!Hibari. Or Spark/Sparky if you wanna bully the child lmao. Of course, will be tagged '#khr Sparking Hearth' just in case you wanna look through this blog for Asks about this specific AU.
WARNINGS: headcanons for flame harmonization and flame sealing, the following insanities, also Death of OC via child, child abuse, homelessness, Baby!Hibari has no concept of societal rules yet. This fic is incomplete.
☁️💜Thanks for reading if you got this far! I hope to hear from you in my Ask Box! :3 💜☁️
OMG THE BG ART IS SOO CUTE AHHHHHHH✨❣️❣️❣️😭😭😭💕💕💕💞💖💖💖💜💜💜💜💜
I know right!? It was one of the first ever fanarts I received! Made by the amazing @cloud-chaser-2224 here on tumblr! I adore the way they draw the Bois!
You guys are commenting on the fics you read right? You’re at least leaving kudos on the Astarion smut and the pairs that have less than 20 fics for them too? You’re bookmarking stories you really like that are still being updated and ones that haven’t been touched in over a year right?
You know that even the smallest interactions are like cocaine to fic writers right? You understand how important a string of emoji hearts left behind on chapter at three am is right?? Right????
You’re treating AO3 like a community and not a content factory….right?
i know it’s been said before, but it bears repeating: a big, big part of maintaining your confidence & self esteem as a creator is fully embracing the concept of “you don’t have to be good like them. you can be good like you.”
for example, i’m not someone who’s particularly good at coming up with complex, elaborate plots or incredibly unique ideas. it’s just not how i choose to write. and it would be easy for me to look at someone with an elaborate, super unique plot & decide that because i don’t write like that, i’m not a good writer. after all, unique plots are good, and my writing lacks those, so my writing must not be good, right? well, no, actually. i just have different strengths, like taking a simple premise & digging super deep into its emotional depths. that’s what i do well & it isn’t any better or worse than people who do elaborate world building or come up with really creative and unexpected plots.
your writing is never going to be all things to all people. it just isn’t. inevitably, you’ll have to make creative choices that favor certain aspects of writing over others. there is truly no getting around that & it’s honestly a good thing, because it means you’ve developed your own style. but you’ll always encounter other creators who posses strengths that you don’t. it doesn’t mean one is better than the other or that your writing isn’t good enough.
comparing yourself like that would be like taking a piece of pizza & a cupcake & going “oh no, that cupcake is so sweet & my pizza isn’t sweet at all.” or “gosh, the garlic crust on that pizza is delicious and my cupcake doesn’t have ANY garlic.” obviously your pizza isn’t sweet. obviously your cupcake doesn’t have garlic. a food can’t have every single delicious flavor at once. the cupcake is good like a cupcake. the pizza is good like a pizza. so you don’t have to be good like them. you can be good like you.
It’s you friendly neighbor fanfic author here. In the light of this apparent new trend of people feeding unfinished fics to AI to get an “ending,” and some people even talking about “blanket permissions,” let me just say this:
I EXPLICITLY FORBID ANYONE TO FEED MY FICS TO AI. DUDE, THAT IS ABOUT THE LEAST RESPECTFUL THING YOU CAN DO. IF YOU DO IT, SHALL YOU BE EXCOMMUNICATED FROM YOUR FANDOM AND WALK ON LEGOS BAREFOOT TILL THE END OF DAYS.
And if I somehow come across mention of you doing this, I am going to track the author down, let them know, and proceed to make sure people know what kind of dirt-bag you are.
Look, I’ve been reading fic on the internet practically for about 25 years, and I have encountered many a fic I would murder several first borns to know what happens next.
I also -unfortunately- am also responsible for a few unfinished fics out there, but I want you to hear me loud and clear:
NOTHING IS ABANDONED.
I’m just working on other shit like trying to be a person, you know.
But it’s very simple: if you want to know what happens next in anything I have up, unfinished:
ASK ME.
I actually have shit written, I have outlines, I have hundreds of thousands of words stuck inside me I will vomit all over a person if even marginally asked.
Just ask my poor partner who got to listen to me talk about a massive reveal I have been sitting on for 10-15 years. (…oh Amy Bradshaw, I was merciless to you.)
I promise you right now with 1000% surety: no AI exists that will ever figure ANY of the turns I have planned.
Mind, I also know my shit is so niche and specific the likelihood of someone trying this is slim. But just fucking don’t for ANYONE.
[Plain Text: "Goodnight Story #9" bigger and cursive /end pt]
Today was supposed to be a normal, peaceful day for Verde. Unfortunately, Skull, Reborn and Fon somehow ended up bored. So Verde has some slightly annoying company.
Skull is still inspecting Verde's forging oven, naively crawling halfway inside it, unnecessarily fascinated with the way it's set up. Of course Reborn pushes the door shut, making Skull squawk in surprise, before addressing Verde much too nonchalantly. "What are you drawing?"
Verde doesn't look up from his work, calmly continuing to sketch, even as Fon hovers over his shoulder, curiously watching him work. Verde just barely remembers Reborn likes to have his questions answered. "Schematics."
Fon hums inquisitively, shaking his head just a tiny bit. He would not be able to read half of the Italian Verde used in this schematic, so his confusion is understandable. "No... No that's a human arm."
Verde doesn't sigh, but he wants to. Fon is just curious and wants to learn, his lack of a formal education is not his fault. So Verde educates him, his tone gentle. "Prosthesis, Fon. I'm designing a prosthetic arm."
Fon hums softly again, leaning just a bit closer. Verde can feel the body-heat rolling off of him now. The awe in Fon's voice is entirely genuine. "That's pretty cool. It looks... So life-like."
Of course, such a comment draws Reborn near and that man knows no personal space. Verde just huffs when Reborn drapes his weight over his shoulder, snuggling close shamelessly and taking a look himself. The momentary pause that follows really says more than enough, but Reborn voices his opinion anyways. "Are you... Sketching from memory?"
Verde hums faintly in acknowledgement, adjusting himself under Reborn's weight and once again losing himself to focus just a little. After a minute, Fon's weight is a little added surprise, but Verde honestly doesn't mind. At least they're resting on both of his shoulders now and distributing their weight more evenly.
Skull speaks up then, no longer in the Forge, instead he's admiring Verde's indoor garden. He's gently cupped his hands around a still-green orange, fascinated and endeared. "I still can't believe you build all this yourself."
This, of course, meaning the highly sophisticated watering and lighting systems that support Verde's little garden. That was one of his first private projects Verde was able to fund. It's been years since then. "I can build anything. All I need are materials and time."
Of course, Reborn has to be a little shit, sounding entirely too amused as he reminds Verde. "And money."
Verde promptly shakes Reborn and Fon off of his shoulders, frowning to himself. That reminder was unhelpful and uncalled for. Verde quickly resolves to ignore them starting now-
But Reborn sighs, over-exaggerated and impatient. You can practically hear the eyeroll and Verde turns to him, the words to tell him off already on the tip of his tongue. But...
Reborn is holding an envelope, thick with whatever is inside it. He sounds smugly amused again. "Let me finish. You need money for your projects."
Reborn offers the envelope to Verde, something distinctly fond in the look in his eyes. Fon and Skull are nearby too, looking adorably excited now. Somehow Reborn still sounds like he's teasing him. "This is for you. Happy Valentine's, you nerd."
Verde blinks rapidly, briefly glancing toward his calender, before accepting the envelope, entirely suspiscious. Fon and Skull look almost too excited. From that alone, Verde can deduce that this present was probably some kind of group effort.
Verde picks the envelope open, raising his eyebrows in surprise when he unearths an actual stack of bills. By the looks of it alone, this is at least 30.000 Euro. This might just be enough to finish Verde's next 4 projects!
Verde looks at his idiots again, his chest oddly warm, even as his voice comes out unsure and stern. "Why?"
Skull speaks up this time, fidgeting his hands together, shifting around. He's blushing, the way he does when he thinks he's in trouble. "Actually... It was Viper's idea. Cause I kept going on about... Feeling bad for breaking your glass stuff..."
Oh, yes. Months ago, when Skull was in a particularly helpful mood, he'd dropped a whole box of glassware. Several beakers, numerous vials and even some syringes and droppers where lost. But nothing particularly important was broken. Verde had told him it was fine. He'd even outright forgiven him after Skull brought him some new glassware from who knows where.
So this is just silly-
Fon gently brushes his knuckles over Verde's cheeks, pulling him out of his thoughts entirely and giving him a very warm smile. "Skull and Viper came up with the idea because of that incident. But it's supposed to be a gift first and foremost."
Reborn is standing back a bit now, his arms loosely crossed, a subtle indication he is not entirely secure with the vulnerability he is about to present. Verde sometimes wonders if Reborn is aware of his own tells actually. "We know how much you love your projects."
Skull and Fon nod their agreement and Verde blinks down at the stack of cash again. He won't reject this, cause that would be quite idiotic, but... It feels wrong to accept this much without somehow returning the favor. So, after just a moment of thought, Verde offers the one thing he can give freely. ".... Thank you very much. May I hug you?"
Skull almost chirps like a bird, nodding enthusiastically and bouncing in place. He is in Verde's arms before Verde has even fully stood up out of his seat.
Fon chuckles at Skull's eagerness, but he too nods, flushing faintly. He moves more slowly, careful to control his strength when he cuddles into Verde's embrace next to Skull.
They are both so tiny in Verde's arms, their cheeks barely rest comfortably against his shoulders. Verde makes sure to give both of them a good squeeze, placing two tiny kisses on top of their hair, before looking at the last person that has earned a hug today.
Reborn is blushing surprisingly brightly, his arms crossed just a bit tighter and he'd averted his eyes for just a moment. Verde catches his eyes when he looks at them again. Verde wordlessly gestures that Reborn can absolutely join this hug, but Reborn hesitates.
So Verde gently pats Skull's back and presses light on Fon's shoulder, slowly breaking their embrace, so both of his arms are free to accommodate Reborn. He offers the hug again, silently. And the hesitation completely leaves Reborn.
Reborn is a bit taller than Fon and Skull. He can rest his chin on Verde's shoulder quite comfortably, but he also hugs like a vice. If Verde hadn't preemptively reinforced his skin with just a touch of lightning, he might've gotten a bruise from that tight squeeze.
Instead, Verde is perfectly content like this, cuddling Reborn closer for a moment, before moving to put a kiss on the man's head. That accursed fedora gets in his way though, which very briefly gives Reborn a case of the giggles. Then Reborn tips his hat back and goes up on his tiptoes, placing the gentlest of kisses on both of Verde's cheeks.
And just like that, Reborn breaks the hug and tugs his fedora back down again to cover his expression. He's blushing and smiling and immediately turns to leave the room, because that was probably more than enough vulnerability for him, for the rest of the month.
Verde will also feel very warm and loved for about a month at least. Especially since Fon and Skull overcome their shyness and bashfully request another hug.
And it's only been a few weeks at most since the last time Verde felt this Treasured and Beloved!
.... Verde knows he's earned this affection. They all did.
[plaint Text: "Goodnight Story #8" bigger and cursive /end pt]
Skull really likes hugging Reborn.
Yes, that sounds odd, there are many better people to hug. Kinder people... Softer people... Even people that like hugs as much as Skull does! But Reborn specifically.... Radiates warmth and comfort when he truly relaxes into a hug. And it's the most calming thing to Skull.
The only issue is.... Reborn doesn't seem to like hugs very much. He never initiates physical contact, he's stiff as a board whenever Skull does wrap his arms around him and he's always the first to pull out of any hug Skull manages to trap him into! Hell, sometimes Reborn even leaves the room as soon as he notices that Skull is in a huggy mood!
But.... Tonight is different. Very different.
Skull just got his Carcassa goons out of a difficult situation, when Reborn showed up out of nowhere and made himself into the biggest nuisance. So much so, Skull ended up trapped in his bedroom.
Reborn must've got kinda bad news about some private thing. He hunted down Skull's airship, broke into his bedroom, refused any offered coffee and has yet to let go of Skull's sleeve. And he's very purposefully keeping Skull from leaving the bed. It's very awkward.
Eventually, Skull gives up and stops trying to pull free, sitting down with a sharp huff and giving Reborn a throughly annoyed look. Reborn just blinks at him, seeming absurdly innocent. Skull's voice comes out more frustrated than he really feels. "What is it with you today??"
Reborn blinks at him, his posture relaxed, his expression calm. An odd twinkle in his eyes. And of course he is as cryptic as ever! "I heard the news and came here to celebrate. Obviously."
Skull claws his free hand into his pillow, frowning and pouting as hard as he can. Cause sometimes Reborn does soften on him when Skull gives him puppy eyes. That's not the case this time. Skull tries to shake Reborn's hand off of his sleeve again. It doesn't work. Why does Skull still sound frustrated-? "Celebrate what, hm."
Reborn sighs the faintest bit and Skull freezes up, feeling oddly chastized immediately. Reborn has way too many parent vibes sometimes... Right now, he somehow sounds a bit fond, as well as disappointed. "I'm here to congratulate you on your first successful solo mission, Lackey."
Skull frowns again, mentally going over the past few days, but he honetsly has no idea what Reborn is on about. So he's very honest, finally twisting his arm free and soothing his reddened wrist a little with his other hand. "What are you on about..?"
Reborn spreads his arms, gesturing vaguely. Now he sounds just the slightest bit puzzled himself. "Didn't you save some Carcassa subordinates from an enemy Mafia just yesterday?"
Skull blinks rapidly, very clearly remembering that, but.... That's not a mission, is it? Skull just did what anyone would've done! ...Right? He blinks at Reborn, feeling a little silly. "That wasn't a mission... Right?"
"That's not what I heard. " Reborn still has his arms spread, which is getting a little awkward, even if he looks perfectly comfortable, graceful and relaxed. Skull keeps blinking at him, obviously not seeing any implications.
So Reborn rolls his eyes, quirks a little smirk and grabs Skull's shirt. He just... pulls him against his chest, even as Skull flails a little in surprise. And Skull wraps his arms around him instinctively, blinking some more before the action registers as a hug and he finds some words. "A celebration hug...?"
Reborn nods above him, sighing faintly and pulling Skull close until they are hugging properly. Skull snuggles very close, very much touch starved and happy for any affection. And this time, Reborn doesn't break the hug! Which means...
Oh.
Reborn doesn't dislike hugs. He just views them as something that should be more meaningful...
That's so damn cute, what the hell...
[Muffin here! If you like my Goodnight Stories, pls give them a reblog! I want to reach more khr Fans and provide them with good sleeps and sweet dreams! :D]
[Plaint Text: "Goodnight Story #7" Bigger and cursive /end pt]
Kyoya obviously had a bad day. Skull doesn't need to know what happened to know that much at least. As soon as Kyoya got home, he shucked off his jacket, threw his tonfa down the hallway and went into his bedroom with the biggest huff!
Skull almost instantly started on some fried rice, instinctively resorting to the comfort food Kyoya cooked for him that very first day they shared this space. It only takes half an hour and by the time Skull puts it all in a bowl, the anger that's been permeating the air has faded significantly.
Skull walks up to Kyoya's door and knocks lightly, waiting for permission, but no answer comes. Skull prods his flames into that room and-Yep. Kyoya is definitely in there. Curled up on his futon by the feel of his flame. He also waves one hand dismissively when Skull pokes him with his flames, disinterested but not angry at Skull at least.
Skull cracks the door open just a little. "Hey-? I made some fried rice... If you'd like a quick snack..."
Kyoya has his face buried in his pillow and he still doesn't reply, only hugging his pillow closer and grumbling faintly. Skull hesitates just a second longer, before Kyoya's flame nearly physically drags him into the room. Kyoya may be angry and upset, but his flame is gentle despite it all, curling into Skull's rugged edges gently. Almost like it's a whispering breeze, brushing a nice chill over the sore, torn ends of Skull's former bonds.
Skull easily shakes the sensations off and closes the door, approaching the futon slowly and taking a seat there. Kyoya still has his face buried in the pillow, very actively sulking. Skull makes sure his voice is gentle, even if he can't mask the confusion perfectly. "Do you wanna talk about what happened?"
Kyoya shakes his head immediately, still hiding in his pillow. His denial is... Understandable. And Skull doesn't need to know anything actually. He reaches out and carefully brushes a hand through Kyoya's hair, watching quietly when a shiver runs down Kyoya's spine.
Kyoya isn't crying, but it feels like that's just barely a fact right now. Whatever happened must've really upset him... Skull lowers his voice, tapping into his mostly unused parental powers to add gentle authority to his words. "Will you try the fried rice? Pretty please..."
Kyoya just hugs the pillow tighter, his next breath a bit shaky. He doesn't sound vulnerable, he just sounds emotionally sore. "You've never cooked for me before..."
Skull would love to hug Kyoya right now, but with how his baby bro is laying down, that would be a tad uncomfortable. Instead, he brushes his hand through that fluffy hair again, scratching the back of Kyoya's head for a second, before replying easily. "I've wanted to plenty of times. But I'm not going to do that when you want to use your kitchen yourself..."
Kyoya heaves a sigh, finally lowering the pillow just a bit, to give Skull an actual, adorable pout. His eyes are sparkling, so he is close to tears, but they aren't red-rimmed, so he hasn't been crying at least. Kyoya's voice still doesn't sound like they're anyhow safe from tears. "Cooking is... A declaration to me. If you don't love me, don't cook for me."
Skull raises an eyebrow, before sighing and placing the bowl of rice aside, scooping Kyoya up and pulling him upright a little. All just so Skull can gently hold those cheeks and swipe the pesky tears away from those pretty lashes. He's holding Kyoya's face because he needs him to actually pay attention. "Listen Kyo... Of course I love you. That was never up for debate..."
Kyoya pulls out of his hold a little. Not fully, just enough so he can bite his lower lip and avert his eyes. He sniffles faintly when his tears start to fall, before just dropping back into the pillow and hugging it close again. Now his voice is small. Not shy, just... Soft. "You have to tell me things like that, stupid herbivore..."
Skull sighs softly, not entirely understanding what's going on. But, once again, he doesn't need to know everything. Kyoya is crying and needs some comfort. So Skull brushes a hand through his hair again, just saying what crosses his mind next. "I never didn't love you, silly... I can promise that much, at least."
Kyoya whines, a bit like a wounded baby animal, before he abandons his pillow and slams his head into Skull's stomach full force. Skull nearly wheezes, but then Kyoya's arms wrap around his waist and... Well. This may be the first time Kyoya initiated a hug of his own accord. Skull pulls him closer and just holds him as best he can.
By the end of it all, Skull still has no idea what happened. But Kyoya stopped crying, ate some fried rice and now they're cuddling.
[plain text: "Goodnight Story #6" Bigger and in cursive /end pt]
Today is... Kind of special. It's been half a year afterall... And maybe the others wouldn't remember, but Skull does! Today is the six month anniversary of the day they first met actually. It feels significant, so Skull goes out of his way to bake some chocolate chip cookies.
He uses this recipe that's just... Stored inside his brain for some reason. He writes it out in Russian and follows his own instructions to perfection. Then.... Then Skull remembers that he's baking for seven very picky eaters. And he panics just a little bit.
Unfortunately the cookies are already in the oven and he can hear footsteps glide down the stairs. Skull speed cleans the kitchen, blushing bright red when Fon walks in on him tiptoeing to put away the mixing bowl. Fon blinks at him, sniffing the air for just a second, before smiling very very sweetly. "What are you baking? It smells nice."
Skull huffs sharply to try to get that blush to fade, but that's impossible when those weirdly familiar brown eyes look at him so very fondly. He whines out the answer, just because he knows Fon will probably hate the cookies anyways. "It's just... Some cookies for everyone. F-for no reason..."
Fon walks over to the oven, crouching down and raising an eyebrow at whatever catches his attention. Now he sounds a bit surprised. "They look nothing like Luce's cookies."
Skull purses his lips faintly, feeling oddly offended by that, before sighing and shrugging to himself. He just... Ends up explaining. "I'm not using Luce's recipes or methods. This is just. Something outta my own brain."
Fon makes a vague 'oh' sound, but that's when the egg timer goes off and Skull rushes to pull the cookies out of the oven. He wiggles the baking sheet, including the cookies, on this free space on the table, before sliding the baking tray back into the oven.
He shuts the oven, just as the others file into the room, each of them still their own version of sleepy. Skull snaps open his designated baking fan, gently fanning cool air at the cookies while the others stare at him uncomfortably. Fon sounds much too bright for the time of day already, but his enthusiasm is appreciated. "Skull baked us all some cookies."
Skull nods, perhaps a bit frantic, cause he meant to have the kitchen perfectly tidy by the time everyone would awake. There is still some mess, flour and sugar, on the ground and he didn't manage to wash all the dishes just yet...
But the others don't seem to pay that ahy mind at all. Reborn walks over and picks up one of the cookies actually, giving it this skeptical look, before just taking a bit. Skull twitches, because he wanted to plate those up first and cool them down further.
But then again... Reborn is just ridiculous. And he does apparently like something that isn't coffee, because he actually leans back against the table and let's his eyes flutter closed for a second as he chews. And Skull knows a few of his tells by now. That kind of relaxation means Reborn is enjoying himself, right?
Skull doesn't have to wait for his answer long, because Reborn finishes his cookie and quickly grabs another, at which point, the others rush forward to grab their share of the still slightly hot cookies.
Skull is left blinking rapidly at the empty baking sheet, closing his fan with a little snap of his wrist and... Feeling a very sweet warmth spread out from his soul.
The others are actually quarreling about the last cookie... Awe...
[plain text: "Goodnight Story #5" Bigger and in cursive text /end pt]
It's one of those rare days. All of Kyoya's subordinates are busy with orders and chores, so shopping falls on him. Now this rarely happens, because he would really prefer avoiding crowds, but they desperately need food, cleaning supplies, bandages and more rubbing alcohol.
So Kyoya bites the bullet, puts on some regular clothes, grabs his shopping basket, pockets his wallet and leaves the mansion. He goes by foot, because the weather is nice and he'd wanted to check out the rooftops anyways.
Nothing is going on. There isn't even the odd mugging, so Kyoya truly has no excuses by the time he reaches the shopping district. He sighs heavily, jumps down onto the street and quickly slips into the nearest store, just to dodge Yua's, whom is out patrolling. Just as Kyoya told her.
It's just... she wouldn't recognize him immediately in these clothes. So she'd try to punish him for parkouring around, which would be very awkward. Because she'd immediately be apologetic and then everyone would be staring at them and.... It'd just feel odd.
Kyoya shakes the thought out of his head, takes a look at the shopping list Tetsu wrote and goes about the store. He gradually collects everything on the list, even buying some tea and sweets that weren't listed, because he knows they'll be running low again soon.
Then he takes the stuff to the cashier, pays what he owes and goes to leave with a very brief goodbye. Of course it can't be that simple. The cashier recognizes him just in time to make trouble. The middle aged lady practically beams at him. "Oh! Hibari-kun- I didn't recognize you for a second."
Kyoya gives the lady a flat stare and it does nothing to dampen her mood. Even his disinterested voice does no damage to this herbivore's sudden, bright mood. "That's the point of not wearing my uniform."
The lady laughs and grabs ahold of his basket, pulling at it with her smile turning strained. She still sounds bright and there is nothing hostile about her, which is just his luck, honestly.... There is no plausible deniability to be found here. "Come here. You get a discount for that-"
Kyoya doesn't budge, feeling somewhat flattered, but really he's more uncomfortable with the other herbivores staring like they're starting to. So he twists his basket out of the lady's grasp and waves her offer away. "No. Maybe next time."
The lady makes a noise a bit like a whimper, barely stopping herself from stomping her foot like a petulant child. Herbivores are very strange sometimes. These ones especially. "Okay but you've got to actually take it next time-Ah, have a nice day!"
Kyoya hums something like a response, quickly leaving that store and walking to the nearest pharmacy. Two people almost collide with him as he walks, yet still by the time he reaches the pharmacy, his hands are barely shaking. Okay. He can do this...
Luckily the pharmacy isn't very crowded and the pharmacist he pays does not recognize him at all. He manages to leave that building without further incident, but next on his list... The farmer's market. He's been dreading this one the most...
It's absurdly crowded and noisy and the moment Kyoya goes within earshot, he actually flinches. Why do they always have to shout like that?! Goddamn...
Kyoya shakes his head and tries his best to focus on the list instead. He finds a path through the crowd to buy what is written down. And for a while that goes... Fine. He's not feeling okay, but it's fine.
But then a godforbid familiar voice calls out to him and the sweet old lady from the bakery down the street practically hunts him down. She beams at him too, but it's hard to focus on that with so many people moving around them. "Kyoya-kun! Oh it's been ages! How have you been, sweetie?"
Kyoya clenches his hands to the handle of his basket, trying his absolute best to focus. He is not okay, but that's not how this social interaction is supposed to go, right? How does it go again-? Wait-Yes! He does remember! "I'm fine. And you?"
The sweet herbivore, Kamei-san if he remembers right, immediately starts telling him some kind of story of what happened in the bakery the other day. Kyoya barely listens to her, because everyone around him is talking and its incredibly distracting.
Someone mentions his name a few paces behind him, but they're talking about another Kyoya, because that's a common name. It still makes him frown and look. And then Kamei-san knows what's up. She immediately seems very apologetic and Kyoya doesn't really listen anymore. "Oh dear-I forgot you dislike the market. Come on, there's a more quiet spot over here."
Kyoya shakes his head, clenching and unclenching his hands a bit, because he wants to feel the comfort of steel right there. Preferably as he drives his tonfa into someone's stomach. He can't attack anyone unprompted here though. That would cause a mass panic. Which is messy to clean up to say the least!
Kamei-san reaches out to grab his arm so he takes a step back, shaking his head faintly and easily rejecting whatever she was trying to do. "No thanks. Goodbye."
Kyoya doesn't even turn around, he just walks past Kamei-san, shoving past some people, so he can break into a sprint when there is a bit less crowding. Some people shout things after him, but he is very much just trying to get the hell away from that suffocating place.
He can breathe easier again when he ends up on the nearest rooftop, far away from the crowding and most of the noise. After a second, he checks his list again and shrugs off the last few items he didn't get. Someone else will have to find the time to buy those, because he is going home. Right now.
.... Gods he's exhausted. It's really time for a good nap. But first he goes home and puts the shopping he did do away. Tetsuya is overjoyed to see him back, but Kyoya shoves past him too. He needs to go be in his much more quiet and peaceful room...
Kyoya really hates shopping... But he did his best today. And nobody got hurt! That's worth something, right?
